Sex and Society in Early Twentieth Century Spain

Hildegart Rodríguez’s sensational death at the hands of her own mother usually overshadows her fascinating life. Alison Sinclair’s examination of Rodríguez’s role as a central player in the Spanish chapter of the World League for Sexual Reform reveals much more than just a dramatic demise. Through analysis of her correspondence with English sexologist Havelock Ellis, we glimpse poignant details of Rodríguez’s personal tensions and anxieties. By building on this exploration of one woman’s life, Sinclair also shows us Spain’s contacts with the international community and delivers a gripping account of the efforts of reformers in the years before the Spanish Civil War.

Alison Sinclair is professor of modern Spanish literature and intellectual history at Clare College, University of Cambridge and the author of Uncovering the Mind:  Unamuno, the Unknown, and the Vicissitudes of Self.

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